Once Upon a Deadpool Should Have Been a Short Film

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Once Upon a Deadpool Should Have Been a Short Film

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  • What Is Once Upon A Deadpool?
  • Why Once Upon a Deadpool Would Work Better as a Short Film

As a longtime fan of the Deadpool franchise, I must admit that I was initially intrigued by the concept of “Once Upon a Deadpool.” The idea of a Christmas-themed, family-friendly version of the R-rated superhero seemed like a fun and creative twist on the source material. However, upon watching the film, I couldn’t help but feel let down.

The duo of Deadpool and Wolverine is breaking R-rated box office records and rejuvenating the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s important to acknowledge that this lighthearted superhero series has experienced both successes and failures. For instance, “Once Upon a Deadpool”, a revised version of “Deadpool 2” without its adult content, presents a PG-13 fairytale inspired by “The Princess Bride”. While this creative spin offers some memorable scenes, many believe it would have been more effective as a short film.

With Deadpool and Wolverine set to dominate the box office for a third straight weekend, examining the ups and downs of “Once Upon a Deadpool” could reveal why it fell short, outstayed its welcome, and might have been more effective as a brief interlude between full-length movies. At the very least, this creative misstep demonstrates that characters like Deadpool thrive on raw, profane content to stay true to their popular image.

3 What Is Once Upon A Deadpool?

Once Upon a Deadpool Should Have Been a Short Film

On December 24th, 2018, the movie “Once Upon a Deadpool” hit theaters. It’s actually a toned-down version of the original R-rated “Deadpool 2.” Directed by David Leitch and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, this version maintains the main storyline of “Deadpool 2,” but gives it a more lighthearted, fairy tale feel. The narrative opens with Fred Savage poking fun at his character from the iconic 1987 movie “The Princess Bride.” Instead of hearing a fairy tale about Buttercup from his grandfather (Peter Falk), he listens to Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) tell him a tale about his fight against Cable (Josh Brolin).

As a die-hard fan of the Merc with a Mouth, I came up with the idea for “Once Upon a Deadpool” as a fun, tongue-in-cheek way to ramp up audience engagement. While some fresh scenes were hastily scripted and shot in just one day, most of the action is borrowed from the original R-rated version of Deadpool 2, which hit theaters back in May 2018. The goal was to entice a fresh, younger crowd who can’t catch the R-rated Deadpool films in the cinema, while expanding the character’s comic book world. However, it was crucial not to transform this into a kiddie flick and preserve the adult satire that Deadpool is renowned for.

Regardless of expanding Wade Wilson’s audience reach, Once Upon a Deadpool didn’t create as much impact as the original Deadpool and its sequel, Deadpool 2. The PG-13 reimagining received mixed opinions from critics, garnering a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 56% and Metascore of 53, in contrast to the original Deadpool (85%, 65 Metascore) and Deadpool 2 (84%, 66 Metascore). In terms of IMDb ratings, Once Upon a Deadpool is the weakest film in the franchise, even when considering the two entertaining short films, Deadpool: No Good Deed and Korg and Deadpool.

2 Once Upon a Deadpool Stretches Its Novel Premise Thin

Once Upon a Deadpool Should Have Been a Short Film

Although the unique concept of Once Upon A Novel initially captures interest among critics, there’s a general consensus that it overextends its central gimmick beyond what’s necessary for a full-length film. With a runtime of 118 minutes, this movie is ten minutes longer than the original Deadpool (2016). Interestingly, it’s one minute shorter than Deadpool 2, but even that length seems excessive given its aim to provide a more accessible experience by toning down the R-rated content and intense violence. Regrettably, what replaces the R-rated material is rather forgettable filler that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the occasional engaging moments.

As a result, the Rotten Tomatoes official consensus reads:

“Once Upon a Deadpool, while it maintains the franchise’s rebellious vibe, doesn’t offer enough new elements compared to Deadpool 2 to make it necessary as a standalone film.”

It was a questionable decision to premiere “Once Upon a Deadpool” on Christmas Eve, as the film doesn’t follow a traditional Christmas fairytale like “The Princess Bride.” Instead, the “Deadpool” franchise has grown into massive summer hits. The original “Deadpool” was released in February 2016, followed by “Deadpool 2” in May 2018, and “Deadpool & Wolverine” is scheduled for July 2024. Each installment has built upon its predecessor’s commercial and critical success.

If “Once Upon a Deadpool” had been premiered during the summer when more PG-13 viewers were available due to school holidays, it likely would have performed better financially and critically. Unfortunately, as things stand, “Once Upon a Deadpool” is the least profitable movie in the “Deadpool” series. It earned $51 million, while “Deadpool” made $782 million, “Deadpool 2” earned $785 million, and the billion-dollar earner in the franchise was “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (Sources: Box Office Mojo)

1 Why Once Upon a Deadpool Would Work Better as a Short Film

Once Upon a Deadpool Should Have Been a Short Film

As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but feel that “Once Upon a Deadpool” could have been more successful if it had been trimmed down to a concise, engaging short film. If the amusing Princess Bride parody was condensed into a tight, 4-5 minute edit like “No Good Dead” and “Deadpool and Korg,” I believe the material wouldn’t have lost its charm and become tiresome. Instead, it would have remained fast, fresh, and highly rewatchable.

The two brief films under consideration outperform “Once Upon a Deadpool” (with a rating of 7.3) in IMDb rankings (8.0 and 7.8 respectively). This implies that “Once Upon a Deadpool” may work more effectively as a humorous interlude between major-screen features, since it doesn’t necessitate recapping events from “Deadpool 2”. Instead of retelling old stories, if “Once Upon a Deadpool” had focused solely on Deadpool and The Grandson humorously reenacting parts of “The Princess Bride” in a quick, five-minute short, its success might have been more substantial and enduring.

Essentially, what makes this short film special is the delightful banter between Fred Savage and Ryan Reynolds, which eliminates the need for multiple action scenes from Deadpool 2. The witty exchanges between these two characters, along with the humorous X-Force parachute jump sequence where they narrowly escape a tragic aerial mishap, are standout moments that could have added more impact to the short film version. Furthermore, emphasizing Savage’s endearing love for Marvel comics would have accentuated the best aspects of this short film. Considering these factors, if Once Upon a Deadpool adopted the style of No Good Deed and Deadpool and Korg, it could potentially improve its ranking among Deadpool movies.

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2024-08-17 00:31